U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,843, to Pregaglia et al., discloses an improved process for preparing butyric aldehydes by hydroformylation of propene in the presence of cobalt-carbonyls complexed with phosphines, wherein the reaction medium is chosen from among N,N-dialkylamides, tetra-alkylureas, aliphatic nitriles, and dinitriles.
An article entitled "OXO PROCESS" in Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, pp. 637-653, (3rd ed.), discloses that these organophosphines improve the selectivity of a cobalt catalyst to the straight chain alcohol, but lowers the overall activity of the catalysts. (see pp. 638-639)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,538, to Prognon et al., discloses a process for the total separation and direct recycling of the catalyst from the hydroformylation of olefins such as propene and cyclohexane by carbon monoxide and hydrogen, said catalysts consisting of octa- or hydro- carbonyls of cobalt, optionally containing phosphorous containing promoters such as phosphites and phosphines, in which the catalyst is separated from the reaction products by insolubilization by means of hydrocyanic acid or cyanohydrins, wherein the complex cobalt cyanocarbonyl, possibly with the combined phosphorous compound, is then recycled in the hydroformylation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,684, to Imai, discloses that alcohols may be synthesized by reacting an olefinic compound, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a Group VIII organometallic complex catalyst and a promoter compound comprising a nitrile. The patent discloses octadecenes as examples of olefinic hydrocarbons, discloses rhodium, rhodium salts and rhodium phosphene and phosphite complexes as examples of the catalysts, and discloses acetonitrile and tridecylcyanide as examples of promoters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,777, to Garron et al., discloses the preparation of cyano acetals by the reaction of an alcohol, a nitrile, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen in the presence of a cobalt carbonyl catalyst and an effective amount of a cyano alkyl amine or carboxy alkyl amine promoter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,343, to Rogier, discloses the hydroformylation of unsaturated fatty alcohols with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a rhodium catalyst. The patent states that higher yields of product are obtained through the use of rhodium catalysts then if a cobalt catalyst is employed and that a much higher degree of isomerization of the double bond occurs with a cobalt catalyst then with a rhodium catalyst.